Sudan Dialogue: Calls for dissolution of paramilitaries

November 10 - 2015KHARTOUM

A meeting of the National Dialogue in Khartoum (file photo)

Members of the Governance and Outcomes Committee in Sudan’s ongoing National Dialogue have demanded the dissolution of all militias supported by the government, including the Rapid Support Force and the Popular Defence Force.

Saadeldin Mohamed El Tayeb, a member of the governance committee, told Radio Tamazuj that they came up with a proposal to dissolve all paramilitary forces and militias, saying the idea was supported by the majority of the members.

“We think that those paramilitary forces are causing insecurity whether in Darfur, South Kordofan or in Blue Nile, so this is the opinion of the majority within the committee,” he said.

However, he said that the proposal was vehemently rejected by Khalid Hussein, who heads the Strategic Studies Centre, one of the think tanks backed by the National Security and Intelligence Service (NISS).

El Tayeb explained that Hussein had called on the members to renege on the proposal during a lecture on diversity management on Sunday.

Hussein argued that Sudan will be like Yemen in case these military organs are dissolved, according to the committee member. El Tayeb claimed that the majority of members rejected that and reiterated their call to dissolve unconstitutional security organs whatever the consequences will be.

The first National Dialogue conference was launched on 10 October, and was boycotted by the majority of the opposition parties and the holdout rebel forces in Darfur and the Two Areas (South Kordofan and Blue Nile).